Coffee-Brined Chicken with Redeye Sauce #3

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are the poultry cut grill jockeys both love and hate. We love the convenience (not to mention the fact that they're virtually pure protien with practically no fat). On the down side, they're rather bland in flavor and tend to dry out on the grill. Brining is a great way to compensate for both of these shortcomings  especially if you use this "redeye" variation on traditional brine. A shot of espresso adds an unexpected flavor (don't worry, it's subtle), along with an inviting mahogany hue. To complete the coffee motif, I propose serving the chicken with an espresso-flavored mustard barbecue sauce.

Preparation

For chicken:
1. Place the espresso, salt, and brown sugar in a large nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 3 cups of cool water and the lemon slices, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seed and stir to mix. Let the brine cool to room temperature.

2. If using whole chicken breasts, cut each breast in half. Trim any excess fat or sinews off the chicken breasts and discard. Rinse the breasts under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Remove the tenders from the chicken breasts and set aside for kebabs or satés. Add the chicken breasts to the brine and place a weight, such as a pot lid of plate, on top to keep them submerged. Or plate the breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and add the brine, let the chicken breasts brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, turning them twice so they brine evenly.

3. When ready to cook, drain the chicken breasts, discarding the brine. Blot the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Lightly brush each breast on both sides with the butter.

4. Arrange the chicken breasts on the grill on a diagonal to the ridges and cook the chicken, until cooked through, following the instructions for any of the grills below, until cooked through. Use the poke test to check for doneness: the chicken should feel firm when pressed. Or insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thick part if a breast through one end: The internal temperature should be about 160°F.

5. Transfer chicken to a platter or plates and serve at once with the Redeye Sauce #3 on the side.

For redeye sauce:
1. Place the bacon in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook until the fat begins to melt, about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the shallot and continue cooking until it and the bacon are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add the espresso and cider vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer gently until the sauce is thick and flavorful, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you have a . . .
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill, then close the lid. The chicken will be done after 3 to 4 minutes.

GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and oreheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the chicken breasts in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.

BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.

FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there's no need to oil the grate. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 5 to 7 minutes per side.

FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.

Raichlen's Indoor! Grilling, by Steve Raichlen, Workman Publishing

my notes

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Recent Review

Yum. I made this for a friend who is addicted to coffee (the in-joke is that she has espresso in her veins instead of blood) and it was a hit. The bbq sauce is yummy as well, although it seemed kind of silly to me to only use one piece of bacon for it. If I make it again (which I will, at some point) I'll probably use a little liquid smoke seasoning to make up for that yummy bacony flavor.